Nothing headphones have always stood out from the competition, and the Headphone (1) Pro is no different. It’s the brand’s most premium option yet, putting it up against the best from Sony, Bose, and Apple. After nearly a month of testing, I’d say these headphones belong among those top-tier choices, while bringing a few unique ideas to the table.

Exquisite Materials

Design is the first standout in the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro. On the outside, it follows the same formula as the Nothing Headphone (1) and Headphone (a), with a distinct square shape and two-tone, transparent outer shell.

The Headphone (1) Pro pushes this design to 11, largely by using premium materials instead of plastic. The square cans are made from a solid aluminum block. The arms are made of titanium. The transparent outer window is made of glass. There’s very little (if any) plastic to be found, yet they actually weigh 2 grams less than the Nothing Headphone (1).

The case is … interesting. It’s basically a hard-shell version of the purse-like case for the Apple AirPods Max 2—a near universally loathed case, I might add. The Headphone (1) Pro case offers better ear cup protection, but the headband remains exposed. It’s something you use once, then promptly forget.

All that being said, these are Nothing’s most comfortable headphones yet. The softer, thicker padding, wider headband, and reduced clamping force make these noticeably more comfortable than the Headphone (1).

Mixing It Up

Photograph: Harry Rabinowitz

Noise canceling and transparency are also great, thanks to extra microphones and impressive sound isolation. It’s not quite as bulletproof as Sony and Bose, but it was more than enough for any New York City situation I threw at it.

Inside, things get even more interesting. The headphone uses a triple-driver design—a bass dynamic driver, a precision dynamic driver, and a treble xMEMS driver. The idea is that each driver handles a different frequency range, delivering clearer, fuller, less distorted sound. When every other major ANC headphone brand uses a single dynamic driver for the full frequency range, this triple-driver design is a big risk. Fortunately, sound quality is outstanding.

I’m not going to pretend I’m an audio engineer (I’m not). But songs I’ve listened to for years came back to life with the Headphone (1) Pro, with added emphasis, clarity, and energy in the midrange and treble I didn’t expect.

I don’t usually make the stank-face to “Staring at the Sun,” by TV on the Radio, but I did pretty consistently with these headphones. Stevie Wonder’s “Another Star,” with its dense mix of vocals, hi-hat, trumpet, and guitar, sounded more spacious on the Nothing headphones than on the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen). Bass is clear, but not as punchy as headphones like the Sony XM6. I didn’t mind, but it was a little less fun with artists like Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar, or anything in the EDM genre. A simple EQ adjustment changed this (more on that later).

This focus on engaging mids and highs meant that music on the Nothing headphones commanded my attention more often. I actually had a harder time achieving deep focus at work with these headphones than with more bass-forward mixes on the Sony XM6 and Bose QC Ultra 2nd Gen.

That was a lot of sound talk, and everyone has different ears, different hearing, and different taste. Luckily, you don’t have to settle for one sound profile with these headphones.

Photograph: Harry Rabinowitz

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro has some of the most customizable EQ settings I’ve ever seen in consumer ANC headphones.

First, there’s a physical “FLAT” switch tucked away on the left ear cup. When you turn it on, it changes to a neutral EQ designed for “reviewing music, producing, or mixing,” according to the brand. As someone who does none of those things, I still had a lot of fun using this mode. I even started to prefer Flat with certain songs and certain genres. One quirk: It increases the volume—I consistently had to lower the volume by two steps.

Nothing X app via Harry Rabinowitz

Second, the Nothing X app offers ample EQ settings. There are two EQ modes: simple, with a familiar three-band EQ (bass, mid, and treble), and advanced, where things get a little crazy. In advanced, you can dial in a +6 dB to -6 dB change for individual frequency bands on both the main driver and precision driver. This level of control is rare in consumer over-ear ANC headphones and will frankly overwhelm some people. That’s why I think more people will enjoy the Explore tab, where Nothing has curated five EQ presets to try out.

Add spatial audio modes on top of that, and you’ve got plenty of options to find your ideal EQ. Though I suspect many people will be happy with the sound out of the box.

Playing in the Big Leagues

Photograph: Harry Rabinowitz

The $400 price tag puts these headphones squarely in competition with the established, well-regarded $450 Sony WH-1000XM6, $450 Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen), and $550 (but always on sale for $450) Apple AirPods Pro Max 2. Those are three of the best ANC headphones you can buy.

I think the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro fit in that mix nicely. No, they don’t win in ANC or transparency performance (though both are solid). But it stands out with a unique design, tactile on-ear controls, an excellent sound profile, and in-depth EQ customization. It’s a toss-up whether I’ll use these or the Sony XM6 as my daily driver, and that’s high praise for Nothing’s first take on premium over-ear headphones.